Sacrifices
by la periodista
Summary: Danny and Sam are now married, and he has resolved to do anything to protect her and their unborn child. But exactly how far will he have to go? And what happens when Sam is afflicted with a mysterious condition... Third chapter added!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Welcome to another DP story of mine! I thought of this earlier, and now that I'm posting it I will try to spend the next few days focusing on my other stories. But for now, I hope you enjoy this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the _Danny Phantom_ series, in whole or in part.**

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Daniel Fenton pushed the door open and brought the luggage in first, placing it in the closet before going back to scoop up his bride. Careful not to bump her head, he carried her over the threshold, kicking the door shut behind them. She giggled playfully, feeling both elated and anxious regarding what lied ahead.

Danny gingerly set Samantha on the bed, when he noticed a "Do Not Disturb" sign laying on one of the pillows. He went to the door once again, opening it just enough to hang the sign on the handle before closing and locking it. He walked back to the bedroom, resisting the urge to dive onto the bed- and on top of his wife.

But that quickly became a non-issue, as she had gotten up to dig something out of the suitcase. Hiding it under her dress skirt, she slinked into the bathroom and shut the door. Danny could hear Sam rustling about as she changed into the little surprise that she had snuck into the suitcase just before they left for the airport.

When the door opened, Danny went wide-eyed as he admired her. Her long brunette locks, which had been pinned up in a bun, now cascaded down her lithe form. Her violet eyes shimmered from behind the spiral curls surrounding her face, and her milky white skin glowed under the last rays of sunlight streaming into the room.

But if how she looked above the shoulders amazed him, then how she looked below excited him. He could hardly breathe as his eyes traveled down her body, drinking of her curves and undressing her with his eyes. She had slipped into a silky purple robe that matched her eyes perfectly. It was deliciously short and low-cut, making him want whatever she was hiding beneath it all the more.

Sam stepped towards Danny, giving him a kiss and tangling her fingers in his thick, jet black hair. He immediately secured his arms around her dainty waist, pulling her in closer to deepen the kiss. She smiled as her body was pushed against his, noticing just how much he appreciated her change of clothes. As he stopped kissing her to finger the fabric, he stared at her before his lips flew to her neck.

Sam grabbed his shirt and pushed him back onto the bed, falling on top of him. He rolled them over so they were sideways, facing each other. His hands moved to the sash holding the robe closed, and he tugged at it, fiddling with the knot.

"Allow me," she whispered seductively, untying the robe. He began to slide it off her, kissing her shoulders along the way. Upon removing it, he cast it aside. She laid on her back, stretching her arms above her head, allowing him to see her in all her glory.

Her mom had taken her shopping a couple days previous, insisting that she find something appropriate for the wedding night. Sam had found a couple things of interest, but had decided to hold off on wearing them until later in the honeymoon. She and Danny had already waited several years to reach that level of intimacy, having resolved to save themselves for marriage. She wasn't about to make him wait any longer by having to peel off more clothing.

Danny examined her nude body for the very first time. He was the first to see her like this; soon enough she would be the first to see him like that. For now, though, he wanted to focus on enjoying her body, before the time came to accomplish that for which they'd waited so long.

But Sam wouldn't have any of it. Her husband was still fully dressed, save shoes, and she decided it was time for him to play catch-up. Pushing him back, she began unbuttoning his shirt, the excitement growing within her. But Danny stopped her, choosing instead to simply phase off his clothes.

Now it was Sam's turn to lose her breath. All that ghost hunting had been good to him- he was flat-out ripped. Every curvature of his muscles became a place for her to explore, a secret for her to discover with her eyes, mouth, and hands.

For a moment they just stared at each other, so overwhelmed that they were speechless. Then Sam reached out to Danny and stroked his face, before taking his hands and placing them on her body. Danny did the same with hers, and they began to touch each other, revelling in the sensation. Their touches were soon replaced by kisses.

At last, after making mental maps of each other's bodies, they knew the time had come. Their bodies united in an explosion of love, passion, and pent-up desire that had built up over the years. They quickly came to understand why the wedding night was the most important, even for couples that had already shared that intimacy before marriage. They had become one, and although a bit painful for Sam initially, both knew it was the first of many times in which they would truly express their love for one another while satisfying human instinct.

As they lay in each other's arms afterwards, their heavy breathing subsiding, they talked quietly about the experience. They'd often been left wondering if waiting was the right thing. Now, after the fact, both knew that they'd made the right decision. That they had waited for each other was the ultimate wedding present. But what they didn't know was that they'd soon have another very special gift, one they'd created that very night.

* * *

A month later... 

"Well, Mrs. Fenton, when is the last time you menstruated?" Sam's general physician asked her.

"About six weeks ago. I was due to start again a couple weeks ago, but my cycle gets thrown off when I'm under stress. And the wedding was many things to me, including stressful."

"And what else ails you?"

"Well, I've been quite nauseous, and a bit lightheaded. And somewhat weak."

"Ah, I see. For how long?"

"Maybe a week or two."

"Have you started your birth control?"

"Not yet. I didn't get it until after my last period finished, so I've been waiting to begin."

"Well, you must not begin it."

"Why?"

"Because you are with child."

Danny heard the door close and looked up from his spot in the waiting room to see his wife, indicating she was done. He put away the magazine he'd been reading- a parenting one, of all things, because that's how bored he was- then stood up and stretched. They both bid good-bye to the receptionist before going out to the car.

"How are you feeling, my love?" Danny inquired.

"Kind of hungry, actually."

"What did the doctor say?"

Sam tried to hide her happiness. She wanted to wait for just the right time to share the news. "I'll tell you over lunch, okay?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Surprise me."

Danny pulled up to the couple's favorite restaurant, parking in the shade. Despite their hometown of Amity Park being situated in Pacific Northwest, it could get quite warm there in the summer, when it wasn't raining. The two chose a table outside, poring over the menu before deciding to go with their favorite dishes after all.

As they ate somewhat silently, since both were extremely hungry, Danny eyed his wife curiously. He didn't know if it was due to the nice weather or him and Sam living up to their newlywed status, but she had a glow about her. He couldn't describe it, except to say that it was breathtaking.

Danny noticed how quickly Sam devoured her meal, causing him to raise his eyebrows. Once their dishes were cleared away, Sam moved her chair closer to his and began to speak to him in a low voice.

"You know how you were reading that magazine earlier?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, did you learn anything of interest?"

"Maybe," he smiled at her questions. "Why?"

"Well, because it may come in handy sooner than you think."

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked, puzzled.

In answer, Sam simply put his hand on her belly.

"No way," Danny said.

Sam simply nodded her head yes, her violet eyes shining. Her face was absolutely beaming.

"I'm going to be a dad? I'm going to be a dad!" Danny squealed, kissing her and pulling her into a hug.

Danny and Sam planned a get-together for the next day, so they could tell both their families at the same time, along with some of their closest friends. As everyone dined on vegetarian lasagne, salad, and garlic bread, the couple looked at each other and smiled. Once dessert was served, they decided it was time to tell everyone the real reason for the gathering, aside from celebrating their one-month wedding anniversary.

Danny tapped his wine glass for attention. Once everyone quieted down, he stood up, a toothy grin on his face. "I know Sam and I told you that this dinner was for our anniversary, but it's much more than that. We're pleased to announce that there will soon be another member of our big, happy family."

There were gasps of surprise all around. Once the shock ended, the guests began congratulating the couple, getting up to hug Sam and Danny. The couple had come such a long way, from secretly liking each other in their days at Casper High, to finally owning up to their feelings and dating during their last two years at the school, to going their separate ways in college, to reuniting after getting their Bachelor's degrees. They had dated a total of three years before marrying, and now, here they were, only a month into their marriage, and already with a child on the way.

"Wow, Danny, I can't believe you and Sam are going to have a baby," commented their best friend, Tucker Foley. "How did that happen?"

Danny's older sister and Tucker's girlfriend, Jasmine, rolled her eyes at this. "Come on, Tuck, we all know how it happened," she said.

"I know, Jazz. I just mean that it happened so fast. I mean, for two people that didn't even do it until they were married, they sure made quick work of it."

"Tucker..." Danny, Sam, and Jazz all murmured simultaneously.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Sorry."

As Danny and Sam lay in bed that night, exhausted from the party- and other things- they held each other close, still in disbelief that in eight months, they would be bringing a human being into the world. A baby to call their own. After talking for awhile, Sam drifted off to sleep in her husband's arms. Danny started to follow suit, but his thought process began to disrupt him.

Worries swirled through Danny's mind. He'd been living as a half-human, half-ghost for a decade. Now he had to worry about passing on the genetic deviation to his offspring. A lab accident had caused his DNA to mutate; what of his unborn child? Would he pass it on?

Scientific logic said that the baby would then be one-quarter ghost, but his own observations could easily convince him otherwise. After all, characteristics could easily 'skip a generation.' And what would happen if there was some sort of incomplete dominance? Would the child sense ghosts and not be able to morph into one? Or vice-versa? Or none of the above? Or both, like him?

A sleeping Sam seemed to sense her husband's concerns, as she began to stir. "You okay, Danny?" she asked, her now-open eyes staring up into his bright blue ones.

"I'm fine, Sammy. You get some sleep, okay?" he insisted, giving her a soft kiss. Still not convinced, she snuggled up closer to him, rubbing his arms.

Since he'd learned of Sam's pregnancy, the last day-and-a-half had been a blur. But now, as his wife attempted to calm him, Danny realized it was time to get serious. So he made a mental promise to himself, and to her and the baby as well. He resolved to do anything to protect the two of them from any harm, no matter how serious- or trivial, for that matter, as was often the case in the height of his ghost-fighting days. From this point, he would forego his wants and needs in favor of providing for his growing family. Whatever it took.

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**Please review! Thank you so much!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter two! I know I said I would work on updating my other stories, but I will still get to the DP stories, because I ended up focusing on the Zelda stories instead. Thank you to all my reviewers thus far- curiositykilledthesquirrel111; Danny fangirl lover; Iluvdolphins; Spirit; serena4ever2006; Raven of the Night676; and DarkAngel1318.**

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Danny woke up to find his wife without any clothes on, standing before the mirror. Normally, this would be enough to beg her to come back to bed, but he could see the distress in her face as it was reflected in the glass.

"Sammy, what's wrong?" he asked, rubbing the lingering sleepiness from his eyes.

"I'm getting too fat," she whined, making a sour face in the mirror.

"Well, you're going to have a baby, remember?" Danny chuckled.

Sam shot him a dirty look. He was supposed to support her, not laugh at her. She was six months along now, and felt like she'd swallowed a whole watermelon, rind and all. She was past the point of morning sickness, and thank goodness because she now knew all too well that "morning sickness" was quite a misnomer. But she was still constantly running to the bathroom, feeling her bladder would burst. And she couldn't even remember the last time she was able to look down and see at her feet. Not that she particularly wanted to, because they were swollen, anyway.

Danny immediately stopped laughing and got out of bed, going over to Sam to hug her from behind, securing his arms between her fuller breasts and her bulging belly. "I'm sorry, babe. You know I'm just teasing. You look beautiful," he whispered, pushing her long hair aside to kiss her neck. "I love you."

Sam could feel the baby kick, and moved Danny's hands to her navel, so he could feel it, too. "The baby's happy to hear your voice, Daddy," she told him. It was still "the baby" to both of them because they had chosen not to learn of the sex until it was born. Although that's not to say that hadn't heard all the tales of how to determine the sex, such as the position of the belly, etc.

Danny let go of Sam to stand in front of her, kissing her lips before bending at his waist to kiss her belly. "I love you, Little One," he said. "Mommy and I can't wait to meet you."

Sam couldn't help but smile as the baby kicked again. "I love you, too," she added. "And I also love Daddy."

As Danny excused himself to the restroom, Sam padded over to the closet, opening the door and flipping on the light. She dug through the racks of clothing until she found what she wanted to wear for the day- a lavender sweater and black slacks. A lot of pregnant women went for frumpy clothes, but not her. After laying her clothes on the bed, she went to the dresser and took out her undergarments. Danny came back into the room at that moment and helped her into her clothes.

After he got dressed, he helped her put on her socks and shoes, then both went downstairs to eat breakfast. Sam's ravenous hunger caused her to eat a huge meal, while Danny stuck to pancakes and juice. When they finished, Danny cleaned up while Sam brushed her teeth, styled her hair, and put on her make-up.

Once the two were ready for work, they locked up the house and went out to their cars. Sam worked as a PR assistant and could easily work from home, provided that she made it into the office at least once a week until her maternity leave started. But much to Danny's chagrin, she not only went to the office every weekday and some weekends, but insisted on driving there by herself. What made it even worse to him was that his job as an aerospace engineer was clear across town, a good half-hour drive from Sam's work in rush-hour traffic. But he knew better than to argue with her- she was stubborn enough without the fluctuating hormones.

Just as Danny pulled into his reserved parking spot, Sam called to let him know that she'd gotten to work alright. After they hung up, he went inside, whistling happily as his thoughts went to the baby. His and Sam's baby.

When they first started liking each other several years back, they were too shy to even own up to their feelings. Danny couldn't help but smile; it was funny to him now, thinking about how long it took just to ask her out on a real date. But they ended up being so right for each other that even four years of separation only strenghtened their bond in the end.

And Danny couldn't even put words to how much he loved her, and how much she and their unborn baby meant to him. Now they could kiss, and hold each other, and be intimate without giving it a second thought. And they made sure to enjoy every moment of it, knowing that once Sam gave birth, they wouldn't even be able to sleep through the whole night for awhile.

Danny entered his office and set his stuff down in the corner before sitting at his desk to check his phone and e-mail messages. He was surprised to hear a message from Sam's boss; if she'd gotten to work already, why was her boss calling him?

The message was very vague and sounded extremely rushed. Instead of wasting time playing it over and over to try and understand it, Danny decided it was best to just call him and see what happened. The phone rang only twice before someone picked up. "Amity Park Communications."

"Yes, I need to speak with Mr. Bowen. This is Daniel Fenton."

"Are you Mrs. Fenton's husband?"

"Yes."

"Oh, dear. Mr. Bowen is en route to Amity Park General Hospital with Sam. She suddenly collapsed in his office not five minutes ago. He attempted to call the emergency number, but the line was busy, so he decided to drive her himself, since she quickly regained consciousness. He said he'd tell the ER staff to expect you."

Danny swallowed hard, tears stinging his eyes. "Thank you so much."

Not bothering to collect his things, Danny raced out of his office, nearly running into his supervisor. Stammering out a hurried explanation, he decided it would be best just to fly to the hospital. His secret having been revealed years before, no one in his workplace seemed bothered when he suddenly had to "go ghost." After he morphed into Danny Phantom, with white hair, transparent skin, green eyes, and a black and white jumpsuit, he phased through the wall and took off in the direction of the hospital.

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Sam groaned as she awoke later that evening. Danny had been sitting in a chair next to the bed, and upon hearing her, he immediately stood up and squeezed her hand to let her know he was there. As he leaned over her, he noticed little bumps on her skin that looked like pimples. 

"Oh, please, no," he hissed, immediately paging the nurse and asking her to get Dr. Williams. When the doctor arrived, Danny gestured towards the marks on Sam's face, whispering something so Sam wouldn't hear. As the doctor examined her, he nodded in agreement. Something that had afflicted Sam in her teen years had returned.

Danny's parents, Jack and Maddie, had started studying ghost nearly two decades before he was born, when they were in college. They had worked with another science student, Vlad Masters, on a portal that would allow them to access to the Ghost Zone, where spirits with unfinished business were housed. It was similar to the portal that made Danny half-ghost. But long before he became a "halfa", an accident in that college lab created another halfa.

Jack, Maddie, and Vlad had succesfully managed to get the portal to operate. But the calculations were off, causing a blast of ectoplasm to shoot out of the Ghost Zone. Jack pushed Maddie out of the way, saving both of them from being impacted by the gelatenous substance. But Vlad wasn't so lucky; it hit him and caused a mysterious skin disease, ecto-acne.

Vlad survived, but the condition hospitalized him for many years. The ectoplasm also led to something that no one ever could have anticipated- it caused him to become half-human, half-ghost. Now, roughly thirty years later, Vlad Masters/Vlad Plasmius still reigned as one of the most powerful spirits in the Ghost Zone, made worse by his ability to turn human at his will. And he was still in love with Maddie Fenton.

Danny had been fighting Vlad for years. Many other ghosts had backed off, seeing Danny was too strong for them now. But Vlad just refused to give up. In fact, nearly ten years before, his ecto-acne had returned, and he also infected Sam and Tucker with it. Danny had traveled through time to find what he thought was a cure, and the three healed.

Or so Danny thought. It was apparent that the concoction that Vlad, Tucker, and Sam drank wasn't a cure after all. Something had brought back the ecto-acne, and he had every intention of determining the cause. But first, as the doctor continued to examine Sam, Danny had something else to do. As much as he hated leaving Sam's side for even a second, he knew he'd better call Tucker to make sure he hadn't been re-infected, too.

"Hello?" Jazz answered.

"Jazz, I'm glad you're home. Is Tucker there?"

"He ended up having to go to work after all. What's up? You sound scared."

"I am. Sam's ecto-acne came back. We're at the hospital."

"Oh, my gosh, Danny, is she alright?"

"The doctor said she should be fine. He's going to mix the medicine right now and give it to her. Thankfully, the doctor said that the medicine shouldn't hurt the baby."

Danny could hear Jazz breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that," she said.

"Listen, Jazz, this is really important. I need to know if Tucker's ecto-acne came back."

"Well, he seemed fine this morning. But I realize the ecto-acne has a very sudden onset, so if there's any change, I'll let you know. Give my best to Sam, okay?"

"Sure will. Thanks Jazz. Bye."

"You're welcome, Danny. Bye."

* * *

The doctor called Danny into a private room to talk to him. "Mr. Fenton, I have good news and bad news." 

"What's the bad news?"

"We're still not sure what caused the ecto-acne to come back."

"And the good?"

"The medicine worked. We'll have to keep an eye on her, but unless she relapses somehow, she should be released tomorrow."

"How's the baby?"

"The baby's fine."

Suddenly something occurred to Danny. "Uh, Dr. Williams, I think I might know why the ecto-acne came back. I wonder if perhaps the baby has something to do with it. I mean, theoretically, it shoud be one-quarter ghost, so perhaps it's affecting Sam."

"I'm inclined to agree with that, Mr. Fenton. In fact, I wanted to discuss that with you. If you and Mrs. Fenton give us permission, we can run some tests to see if we can detect the genetic mutation that you went through, to see if you passed it down.

"The baby could just be a carrier, meaning that it possess the genetic mutation, but the mutation is not expressed. Obviously we have no cases to examine, as you and Vlad Masters/Plasmius are the only known human-ghost hybrids. But I would assume that if the baby carried the gene, the trait could very well skip a generation, and only return if there is a mixing of genes with another hybrid."

"Now let's say that the trait was handed down. If the baby expresses it, instead of just carrying it, how will we know?"

"I'm really not sure, Mr. Fenton. Again, we do not have any cases to reference. However, I'm assuming that at some point your child would begin to display ghostly traits. I don't know if he or she would have them to the level that you do, but I can well imagine there would be some sort of indication, such as the ghost sense."

"Well, thank you for your help, Dr. Williams," Danny said, standing up and extending his hand. The doctor stood as well, and they shook hands. "And you have my permission to run the tests. I'm sure you will get my wife's as well," Danny added, as they returned to Sam's room.

Sam did indeed grant permission, but she and Danny were informed that they would have to wait until the next morning, to ensure that Sam could first regain some strength. After the doctor went away, the nurse went to get dinner. When the food arrived, Sam ate most of it, while Danny only had a little bit. He was starving, but he refused to leave Sam's side any longer than necessary.

As Sam ate, she noticed Danny eyeing her food. "Go get some dinner, Danny."

"I'm fine, Sammy."

Sam smiled weakly. "No, you're not, Danny. You can't be if hospital food is making your mouth water."

Danny had to chuckle. "Okay, you caught me. Are you sure it's okay?"

"No, Danny, it's not okay if you leave me. I'd much rather you sit here wasting away just so I don't have to be away from you for a few minutes," Sam teased.

Danny blushed a little. He loved when she teased him like that; she could do it so straight-faced. "Okay, okay," he conceded, bending over her and kissing her lips softly, then kissing her belly. "Be back soon, alright? I love you."

"I love you, too."

As Danny made his way to the small cafeteria to get some dinner, a weird feeling came over Sam. The whole room seemed to cool down, and she clutched the blanket closer. When she exhaled, she noticed a blue stream of cold air, so small that she almost missed it.

"What on-" she started to mutter, cutting herself off after a mysterious figure breezed into the room, floating above her bed.

"Ah, yes, young Daniel's wife. So the time has come for you to suffer the same fate that your father-in-law caused me to have."

Recognizing the phantom, Sam stared up in shock. She attempted to speak, but the words simply died in her throat.

Danny's ghost sense tripped as he neared Sam's room. He dropped the tray of food and hurried through the door to see his nemesis floating menacingly above his wife and their child.

"Get away from them!" he shouted, his eyes flashing a bright green as two rings of light passed across his body.

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**Please review! Thanks a bunch!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello there! Welcome to the next chapter! Sorry for the delay in updating, but between surgery and writer's block, I finally finished writing this part today. Enjoy!**

**Thanks to my reviewers since my last update- serena4ever2006; Sara-540; Raven of the Night676; horseluver101; Nyx - Night Goddess; RobinStarfire; Andrew Laplante; and phantomshadowdragon (for two reviews).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the _Danny Phantom_ series, in whole or in part.**

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Vlad laughed mockingly. "Ah, Daniel, just in time to see your wife and unborn child one last time before the hands of fate change things forever." Danny took off towards him and punched him, sending him right through the wall. Vlad had as much fatuity as he did strength, meaning that Danny often succeeded in delivering the first blow.

Danny followed his nemesis, and they began to do their dance of death, both knowing that it was now or never. Normally Danny was more than happy to send Vlad back to the Ghost Zone and let Walker deal with him for awhile. But things were different now. Vlad knew something about Sam and the baby she carried, something that, as far as Danny could tell, threatened both of their lives. And Vlad made a mockery of it all, and Danny refused to take that.

Vlad and Danny both floated just outside the window, as Sam watched in horror. Vlad shot ectoplasm at Danny, who promptly formed a glowing spherical shield around himself. Danny turned off the shield and fired a return volley at Vlad, who went intangible. The blast hit a building across the street, splattering into a pile of green goop on the bricks.

"Daniel, you fool, you're so predictable. Did you really think you could get rid of me so easily? You're just as dumb as your idiot father. Apparently the mutant apple doesn't fall too far from the tree."

Danny had had enough. Their battles were almost always the same, and he wasn't about to waste time on another repeat performance. He drew a deep breath, allowing his power to well up inside of him. He flew back against the hospital wall and gripped the window sill for leverage, then closed his eyes and let the power flow from him.

The ultrasonic waves burst free from his now open mouth, like shockwaves from an earthquake. Vlad was again caught by surprise. Despite all his powers, he lacked the one ability that Danny had earned after a journey through time to save the future- the ghostly wail.

The waves overwhelmed Vlad and threw him against a building. The impact made his head snap back, and Danny cringed as he heard it hit the bricks. Vlad, still dazed, suddenly turned human. As the acceleration from the gravity that was now affecting him increased, he fell several stories.

A stunned Danny watched him fall. Hearing Sam's screams of terror, his hatred passed into concern, as well as knowledge that he could not let another human being die like that. Danny flew down quickly and caught Vlad just before he hit the ground, setting him on his feet.

"Daniel, you... you saved me... but why?" Vlad stuttered.

"Because I wasn't going to let you die in front of my wife. But don't you dare think for a second that I won't come after you if you get near her or our child again. I'm warning you, stay away. Next time, I won't be so nice."

Regaining his composure and turning ghost, Vlad floated there momentarily, looking up at Sam's window. Without a word, he flew away.

Danny watched him leave before floating back up to Sam's room, to discover that several medical personnel had rushed into the room upon hearing her shrieks and were in the process of checking on her. Everyone noticed the temperature drop and turned to see Danny.

"What happened Mr. Fenton?" Dr. Williams asked.

"Vlad Plasmius was here. I came back with my dinner and found him floating above my wife's bed, saying something about sharing his fate. He's gone now, but I'm really worried. Knowing him, he'll be back. And besides that, I have no idea what he was talking about with the whole fate thing."

"It's the baby," Sam spoke up. "The baby is doing something to me."

"What do you mean, Sam?" Danny inquired, his ice-blue eyes meeting with Sam's violet orbs.

"I... Right before Vlad showed up... I saw my breath. I have a ghost sense, Danny."

Danny hurried to Sam's side. "No, it can't be. The ecto-acne, the ghost sense. It must mean..."

"Yes, Danny, it must," Sam agreed. "I'm becoming a halfa."

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Danny stayed up with Sam all night, watching for signs of ghost powers. There were a couple times when she went intangible and started to sink into the bed, only to be caught by him before she got stuck. Come the next morning, it was quite evident that she had indeed suffered the same fate as Vlad- she'd become a human-ghost hybrid due to the ecto-acne. Even so, the doctors saw no reason to keep her hospitalized any longer than necessary. Once they completed the amniocentesis, confirming that the baby had indeed gone through the genetic mutation that would make it part-ghost, they released Sam.

Danny drove himself and his wife home, ensuring she was comfortable before calling both their sets of parents, Tucker, and Jazz and telling them to come over immediately for an emergency meeting. Once everyone arrived, Danny and Sam began to tell them all the events that had transpired during her stay in the hospital.

Their guests fretted upon learning that Sam had become a halfa, like Danny, and that the baby would most likely become one as well. The doctors had figured that now that the baby technically was developed enough to survive outside the womb, the ectoplasm in its body somehow caused Sam to become re-infected with the ecto-acne that should have been cured years ago. No one was quite sure exactly how ghostly the baby would be, but now that both parents were half-ghosts, mathematical logic pointed to the baby being half-ghost as well. All that was left was to await the birth of the baby and watch its maturation to see when it would acquire its powers.

But with that three months away, the focus would be on Danny training Sam, teaching her how to use her newly-gained ghost powers while protecting her and their child. And the couple and their loved ones quickly agreed that everyone would be instrumental in ensuring that protecting the baby would be the first priority, meaning that her training would stop at any time it appeared to threaten the baby's well-being.

Once the meeting ended, Danny and Sam invited everyone to stay for dinner. Sam, much to everyone's surprise, had resolved to lay off her ultra-recyclo vegetarian diet after her first trimester for the sake of the baby. She knew that she could find healthy alternatives for herself, but what only she and Danny knew was that she had actually started craving meat for the first time in years. Truth be told, stranger things have happened, but that was more than enough surprise for the young couple at the time.

After dinner, everyone went home, leaving Danny and Sam to their own designs. Sam stretched out on the couch, and Danny massaged her swollen ankles.

"So when's my training going to start?" she murmured, leaning back and closing her eyes.

"Tomorrow."

"But it's only 7:00"

"I know," Danny whispered, a look in his eyes.

Sam returned Danny's stare, prompting him to jump up and help her up the stairs to their room. "How about you teach me how to go intangible now," she said with a sly grin. "Willingly, that is."

"Okay, well, you just concentrate really hard, and you draw the power from within yourself. Like this." Danny squeezed his eyes shut, and in just a few seconds managed to phase off his clothing. He watched eagerly as his wife tried to imitate what he did, happy that she was successful. And nude.

Sam stood there and shivered slightly, partly because of the temperature drop from the short time it took to phase off their clothing, but mostly from the anticipation of being intimate with her husband. The pregnancy hormones had awakened her sensuality, and although she and Danny had worried initially about hurting the baby, both had since learned to enjoy certain hormonal spikes very much.

"Are you cold, my love?" Danny asked, admiring her happily.

"Not really," she grinned. "And even if I was, the body heat we're going to generate will quickly take care of that."

Danny helped his wife into the bed, crawling in next to her. He sat up against the headboard, and she climbed into his lap, straddling him. He secured his arms around her waist, with hers resting around his neck. They quickly found their rhythm, easily warding away the chill of the Winter air that had leaked into the room gradually throughout the day.

As the couple made love, they didn't break their gaze the entire time. Both delighted in seeing the looks that crossed each other's faces as they tumbled over the edge nearly simultaneously. Sam collapsed against Danny, laying her head on his shoulder. Their heavy breathing subsiding, they held each other for a few minutes before Danny carefully removed himself from Sam, helping her lay on her back and sliding down onto his side, facing her and pulling the bedding over them.

"You're so amazing," he whispered, lovingly stroking her soft hair.

"So are you. No wonder we made our baby so quickly," Sam whispered back, turning her head to smile lovingly at him. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The couple cuddled for awhile longer before picking up where they left off. They made love long into the night, pushing the events of the last two days to the backs of their minds and finally slipping into an extremely restful slumber.

----------

Sam awoke late the next morning, stretching her arms above her head. She looked over at Danny, still asleep on his side, his arm over her waist and his grin stretching from ear-to-ear. Feeling the baby kick, she moved his hand to her belly.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she whispered lovingly as his eyes opened.

"Good morning," he whispered back, still smiling as he, too, felt the baby kick. He removed his arm from her, and sat up. He then kissed her belly, before kissing her lips. "Did you sleep well?"

"How could I not?" she said with a toothy grin. "Last night was amazing."

"Tell me about it. You sure kept me busy," Danny chuckled.

"Oh, look who's talking!" Sam teased.

Danny moved closer and began to kiss Sam's neck.

"Not now," she giggled. "You have to go to work."

"So?"

"So you need to get up."

"Oh, boo," Danny said, pouting.

"Oh, a half-ghost saying boo, how ironic," Sam said with a chuckle, nudging Danny away. "Come on, lazy bones."

"Okay, okay," Danny grumbled, finally getting out of bed. Unable to resist, Sam reached over and pinched his rear.

"Hey!" Danny jumped, turning around. "Now I get a free shot."

He walked to the other side of the bed and kneeled next to his wife, looking at her hungrily. His grin widening, he reached out... and began to rub her swollen legs.

Sam smiled lovingly at him. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she'd expected something different, but now she was clearly enjoying his taking care of her.

"How do you like your surprise?" he asked.

"I love it, Danny. Thank you so much."

Danny moved down to Sam's feet, massaging them carefully. After he finished, he bent over her face and gave her a soft kiss, before heading to the bathroom to shower.

----------

Danny opened the front door, greeting his mom and sister and letting them inside. They would stay with Sam for the day to watch over and help her. Sam insisted that she could take care of herself, but after what happened with Vlad at the hospital, Danny would have none of it.

Sam suddenly flew down the stairs. It didn't cease to amaze Danny that she managed to do so many things already without him teaching her. Then again, no one taught him how...

"Good morning, sweetie. How are you feeling?" Maddie asked Sam.

"Just fine, Mrs. Fenton."

"Glad to hear that," Maddie answered, with Jazz nodding in agreement.

Sam went human and stretched out on the couch, still worn out from the last couple of days, particularly the night before.

"Do you need anything before I go?" Danny inquired.

"No, I'm alright."

"Okay, Sammy." Danny leaned over Sam and kissed her belly, then her lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye, Danny. Have a great day."

"Thanks, Sam, I'll call to check on you later, okay beautiful?"

"Okay, see you later."

Sam watched as her husband went into the garage. A moment later, she could hear his car backing into the street, and the garage door closing. She glanced out the window as he honked and drove off. Just as she looked away, she could feel herself sinking into the couch, only to be caught by Maddie and Jazz.

"This is going to be a long day," she sighed.

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